Christian Understanding of Trinity3

TRINITY : M. M. NINAN
9. Trinity through History
Adoptionism
Adoptionists taught that Jesus was a man who was tested by
God and after passing this test and upon His baptism, He was
granted supernatural powers by God and adopted as the Son.
As a reward for His great accomplishments and perfect character
Jesus was raised from the dead and adopted into the Godhead.
Theodotus of Byzantium was the most prominent adherent to
this thought. Adoptionist scholars see their adoptionist ideas in
the writings of Paul and in the Gospel of Mark. They see Paul
placing the adoption at the Resurrection while Mark placeing it at
Jesus' Baptism. The Gnostic group known as Marcionites
believed that Jesus the man had been adopted by God at his
baptism, and that he had come to abolish the laws of the Old
Testament, thereby defeating the evil god of the old testament.
Mar 1:11 and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved
Son; with thee I am well pleased."
Adoptionism was condemned as a heresy by Pope Victor (A.D.
190-198). Adoptionism was later revived in the 8th Century in
Spain by Elipandus, archbishop of Toledo, and Felix, bishop of
Urgel. Several Neo Adoptionist views arose in the later periods
also.
Thus through history, the believers and doubters together
grapled with the concept of the Trinity of God as One God in
Three Persons. There are ever so many permutations and
combinations of the theories. But none could deny the reality of
Jesus and his claims. The problem they dealt with was “How can
we explain this historical objective phenomena of Jesus of
Nazareth who rose from the dead and claimed oneness with the
Father?” These systems of thoughts still persists with all sorts of
shades even today in the Christian Churches.
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